The Chickasaw messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1880-1900, 1887-04-07
A TRAIL OF HUMAN BLOOD
IL OKOLONA.

One morning in January last, the
people Of this city were Mortified
TO see trail Of human blood ex-
tending from a tenement house ia
rear Of the Masonic Temple to the
depot and Investigation was set on
foot at once by the officers 10 as-
certain what nature of crime had
been committed and who were the
guilty parties. The investigation
resulted in the arrest of several
persons including Alex Jones and
George Rounds, all Of whom we're
afterwards liberated except Jones.
II was believed a murder had been
committed, but as the body Of the
victi m could not be found, Jones
was indicted for assault with in
tent to kill, and on Friday last
was tried, convicted and sentenced
to the penitcntiary for ten years.
The proof showed that Jones had
struck another negro with t. e edge
Of an ak, splitting his head open,
that the body was rolled out ofthc
house by a woman, and that i'm
mediately afterwards two other
negroes came to Jones assistance
and the three carried the wounded
man of in the direction Of the de-
pot. As Jones accompliees wero
not identified by the witnesses this
was all that was positively known
Of the terrible affair until Sunday
last, when George Rounds was re-
arrested by officer Griffin, who made
a confession embodying the above
facts and stated that he end negro
named Dave Love were the
parties who assisted Jones to hide
the body. Rounds says, there
happened to be freight train on
the side track at the depot await
ing the arrival Of the midnight
passenger trainj that an empty
box car about midway the train
was open, and that they put the
dead man in the car, got some car
links and pins to weight down the
body, and when the freight pulled
out Dave Love slipped in the ear,
fastened the irons to the dead
mans clothes and threw the body
into Chiwappa creek as the train
passed the mill, a mile or so this
side Of Shannon. Love got of
the train at Shannon it is supposed
and walked back, or stole his way
on the South bound morning train,
as he was here before daylight.
Steps have been taken to find the
body of the murdered man and if
successful the probability is we
may have frst-class hanging, at
no distant day.
TATpp Rounds has retracted
his confession and now says every
word he spoke was false, but search
will be made for the dead man,
and if found the bloody butcher
Jones and his "rals" will doubt
less suffer the penalty of the law,
which they richly deserve.
STILL LArER-A party of men
under charge ofofIieor Griffin went
in search Of the dead body on
Tuesday, carrying with them the
negro Love. The search was first
made where Rounds said it was
hidden, but failure 10 find it
seemed to greatly relieve Love,
but whom the party carried him
from the Chiwappa mill to tho
bridge across Talhabonela, be
broke down completely, and point
ed out the spot whore the murder
ed victim was thrown in the creek.
A short search revealed the bones
Of the dead man, which were Sc
cured and brought to this city
Tuesday evening. The three ne
groes, Alex Jones, Dave Love and
George Rounds have been indicted
for murder, and will doubtless DO
tried this week. The time fixed
for the hanging will be duly noted.
If good people would but make